In the span of a breath, the room fell utterly silent, with only Old Lady Zhang’s low, suppressed breathing audible.
The next moment, Xu Yi withdrew his hand.
Village Chief Zhang nervously asked him, “Doctor Xu, how is it?”
Xu Yi said, “Based on the pulse I felt, Auntie’s symptoms are quite severe.”
“This… what should we do?” Village Chief Zhang grew so nervous that his speech became more refined.
This time, Xu Yi didn’t answer him. Instead, he turned to address Old Lady Zhang behind the bed curtain, asking if she could pull back the curtain. He needed to perform a visual examination and observe her complexion.
The other side remained silent as always. Xu Yi looked toward Village Chief Zhang.
Village Chief Zhang immediately understood. He stepped forward and lifted a corner of the curtain, saying in a low voice, “Old woman, you heard him. This illness can’t be delayed any longer. Doctor Xu is a physician, he won’t speak of it to others.”
He said a few more things quietly. Xu Yi deliberately didn’t listen to the specifics.
After quite some time, Old Lady Zhang finally agreed to pull back the bed curtain.
She wore very plain coarse hemp clothing, not a short jacket but something similar to an upper and lower separated beizi, though the material was much inferior to ordinary beizi garments.
The tea-brown outer garment was patched, and the inner clothing had been washed until it was worn and faded. Though only in her early forties, her hair bun had quite a bit of gray mixed in. A single black wooden hairpin was the only ornament in her hair.
When Xu Yi examined her complexion, he saw that Old Lady Zhang’s face was slightly sallow with sunspots of varying depths. At the connection between her right cheekbone and temple, there was a reddish growth.
Facing Xu Yi’s scrutiny, she felt very uncomfortable and pressed her lips tightly together. Her rough hands twisted together anxiously, and her eyes lowered slightly, not daring to meet his gaze directly.
This was Xu Yi’s first encounter with a rural woman, and she was nothing like the brash and rough women he had imagined.
She was reserved and uneasy, every part of her radiating an intense sense of rejection. She was like a wildflower hidden in darkness that had suddenly been plucked and placed under the sun. The sudden light left her at a complete loss, uncomfortable in every way.
In her, Xu Yi saw another kind of woman of this era.
An emotion called “regretful affection” slowly grew in his heart. Xu Yi knew his tendency toward excessive sympathy was acting up again.
Xu Yi asked gently, “Does your lower abdomen hurt?”
Old Lady Zhang heard this and froze for a moment. She cautiously lifted her eyes to look at Xu Yi. Seeing no disdain or superiority in his gaze, she said, “A little.”
“What kind of pain is it?” After asking, Xu Yi worried she might not understand and explained, “Is it a dragging, bearing-down pain, or a sharp, stabbing pain like needle pricks?”
Old Lady Zhang thought for a moment and said, “It comes in waves, that dragging, bearing-down kind of pain.”
Xu Yi continued asking, “Is there an unusual odor below?”
Old Lady Zhang’s eyes widened in shock.
This question was too shameful for her. For a moment, she didn’t know how to answer.
Village Chief Zhang, standing nearby, reacted and answered the next few questions on Old Lady Zhang’s behalf.
He stayed with Old Lady Zhang day and night, so he actually knew many details of her condition. It was precisely because he knew that he felt they couldn’t delay any longer.
But Yanting County had no female physicians. For this kind of gynecological disease involving private matters, Village Chief Zhang had been troubled before.
Today, after hearing about Zhang Tiegou’s situation, he suddenly understood. Perhaps he shouldn’t only focus on this one concern and let it harm his wife.
After learning about Old Lady Zhang’s other symptoms, Xu Yi pondered for a long while and determined what formula to use.
“The sallow complexion indicates a poor spleen, and Auntie also has a red growth on her face, which shows the severity. The fishy, foul discharge below is transformed from corrupted blood. Combined with urinary difficulties, this indicates dampness and heat illness in the bladder.” Xu Yi spoke slowly.
Then he told Village Chief Zhang, “She needs to take Modified Four Substance Decoction with added cimicifuga and bupleurum. While taking the decoction, she also needs to take Water-Guiding Pills. After taking them for ten days, her pulse must be checked again to see if the medicine needs adjusting.”
Modified Four Substance Decoction was one of the formulas for treating vaginal discharge in the “Golden Mirror of Medicine.” Different diagnoses required different decoctions.
The Water-Guiding Pills to be taken consisted of morning glory seeds, talc, scutellaria, and fresh rhubarb, primarily treating dampness and heat.
Old Lady Zhang’s body had severe pathogenic dampness. Taking both Modified Four Substance Decoction and Water-Guiding Pills together should show results quickly.
But she had been ill for too long. Complete recovery in a short time was nearly impossible. She still needed gradual treatment.
However, seeing the furnishings in Village Chief Zhang’s home, they were not wealthy.
For a family in such circumstances, drinking medicinal decoctions for a long time would be a significant expense. This was evident from Old Lady Zhang’s expression when she heard she would need another pulse diagnosis after taking medicine.
She seemed to want to speak, to persuade Village Chief Zhang that she didn’t need to drink medicine.
But Village Chief Zhang had already taken this step. He certainly couldn’t stop at this critical juncture.
He gritted his teeth and asked Xu Yi with some embarrassment, “May I ask Doctor Xu, to cure this illness, how much silver will it cost?”
Xu Yi estimated and said, “If I write the prescription and Village Chief Zhang, you go to a medical hall to fill it, it will cost two strings of cash.”
Village Chief Zhang took a deep breath. Their family’s current savings were less than ten strings.
Moreover, soon their eldest grandson would need to go to the village school in the neighboring area to begin his education. They’d need to give the teacher a ceremonial gift and tuition which costs at least two strings of cash.
And his daughter-in-law was pregnant. In another two months, the child would be born, which would also cost money…
Now during the agricultural off-season, two of his sons were working short-term jobs in the county town, bringing back a few dozen wen each day. But with more than ten people in the family, the grain consumption alone was substantial.
Thinking of all this, Village Chief Zhang finally let out a sigh. Never mind, never mind. With his wife managing the household, this family wouldn’t fall apart.
His wife’s illness still needed treatment!
Xu Yi suddenly said, “Village Chief Zhang.”
Village Chief Zhang looked at him.
“What I just mentioned is the cost of filling the prescription at a medical hall.” Xu Yi said, “If I compound the medicine myself, the cost can be cut in half.”
Village Chief Zhang was shocked: “!”
“Is what Doctor Xu says true?”
Xu Yi said flatly, “I don’t deceive people.”
In a few days, when Zhang Tiegou’s leg injury healed, he should frequently come to Baili Village.
Since he’d be coming to Baili Village anyway, making an extra trip to the village chief’s home wouldn’t be too much trouble.
Not long after, Xu Yi walked along a rural path carrying an armful of foxtail grass, looking at the gentle afternoon sunlight with complex feelings as he headed toward Zhang Tiegou’s home.
…
In the courtyard, Zhang Tiegou was explaining to Ah Xu how he set traps to catch sparrows.
“Right now the rice in the fields isn’t ripe yet, so the birds have nothing to eat and run around everywhere. They’re easy to catch.” After speaking, Zhang Tiegou demonstrated by making a simple trap right in front of Ah Xu.
He only used a small bamboo basket, a stick, some grain, and a hemp rope.
The hemp rope was tied to one end of the bamboo basket, while the other end was propped up with a wooden stick, with grain placed inside.
Zhang Tiegou pulled the rope and called Ah Xu to hide with him nearby. Soon, two sparrows appeared.
They hopped around and landed near the bamboo basket. After sensing no danger in the surroundings, they approached the grain in the basket step by step. Before long, they foolishly entered the trap’s range.
The next moment, Zhang Tiegou pulled the rope without hesitation.
With a “thud,” the bamboo basket firmly covered both sparrows.
“We caught them!” Ah Xu jumped up happily and ran over to look.
Seeing the sparrows inside flapping their wings and struggling to escape, Ah Xu looked toward Zhang Tiegou who had followed over and asked, “Brother Tiegou, how do we get the sparrows out?”
In less than half a day, Ah Xu’s form of address for Zhang Tiegou had already progressed from “Hunter Zhang” to “Brother Tiegou.”
Zhang Tiegou was quite pleased with this title. He smiled honestly and said, “No rush, watch how I catch them.”
He was too familiar with catching sparrows. With swift precision, the moment he lifted the bamboo basket, his large, thick hands grabbed the two sparrows trying to fly away.
After catching them, he proudly showed them to Ah Xu.
Ah Xu clapped enviously, “Brother Tiegou, you’re amazing!”
Zhang Tiegou said with a “heh,” “Of course. I’m the only hunter in our village. Who can compare to me at catching prey?”
Hearing this, Ah Xu tilted his head, “But my master can catch wild boars. My master is even more impressive than you.”
Zhang Tiegou: “…”
Look at that. Is this something a child would say? He must have heard it from that cart driver again. He himself had heard quite a few of Xu Yi’s exploits from that cart driver. The more he learned, the more he wanted to know.
“Tell me, what does your master usually do?” Zhang Tiegou squatted down to speak with Ah Xu at eye level.
Ah Xu thought for a moment and said, “My master is very busy. Every day he makes medicine pills in his room, dries herbs, and sorts medicinal ingredients. Within every five days he goes up the mountain once. When he returns, he also teaches Ah Jin and me to read and write.”
Zhang Tiegou’s eyes widened, “He can also be a teacher?”
“Yes!” Ah Xu nodded vigorously and said earnestly, “He explains better than the teacher at our village school. I understand everything my master says, but I’ve secretly listened to that teacher twice and had no idea what he was talking about.”
Zhang Tiegou clicked his tongue several times. Is this even human…
“Does he practice martial arts at home?”
This time, Ah Xu closed his mouth and didn’t answer.
His master had said that martial arts practice couldn’t be told to others. That way, others wouldn’t know he knew martial arts, and he could catch them by surprise in critical moments.
His master also said this was called “All warfare is based on deception,” from Sun Tzu’s Art of War.
Ah Xu blinked and said, “I don’t really know about my master’s affairs.”
Zhang Tiegou: “…”
Why did he feel like this child was hiding something from him?
Zhang Tiegou scratched his hair somewhat irritably. He was still looking forward to their previous bet. But as a man, he didn’t want to be easily defeated by Xu Yi. That would be too embarrassing.
Unable to get an answer, Zhang Tiegou asked if he wanted to eat roasted sparrows.
“My roasted sparrows are delicious. You can’t get food this good outside.” Zhang Tiegou boasted.
“Can we wait for my master to come back?” Ah Xu swallowed and didn’t forget about Xu Yi.
Zhang Tiegou naturally agreed. They wouldn’t deprive Xu Yi of a bite. They weren’t in a hurry to process the sparrows and continued using the trap to catch over ten more before stopping.
The cart driver who had been resting on the ox cart earlier was now lying in Zhang Tiegou’s courtyard.
He used his hat as a fan and waved it. Hearing they were going to roast sparrows, he said he wanted some too.
“Sure thing, old sir, just wait. I’ll go pluck the feathers from the sparrows.” Zhang Tiegou called out generously.
Xu Yi, who had just stepped into the Zhang family’s gate, heard this and asked in puzzlement, “Pluck what feathers?”
“My master, you’re back!” Ah Xu quickly ran over, his mouth chattering away, “Brother Tiegou is going to roast sparrows for us to eat. Right now he’s plucking the feathers!”
Xu Yi: “…”
Wait, this matter still isn’t over??
He looked at Zhang Tiegou squatting busily in the corner and suddenly felt his head ache.
Wild sparrows easily carried various viruses. If they weren’t roasted thoroughly and were eaten, problems could easily arise.
For Xu Yi, unless absolutely necessary, he definitely wouldn’t eat them.
But Zhang Tiegou’s enthusiasm came fierce and intense. He insisted that Xu Yi also taste his handiwork.
When roasting sparrows, he first used two bricks to build a temporary roasting rack. He simply peeled willow branches to use as skewers, stringing up the cleaned sparrows one by one, then placed them on the rack.
He threw some thin firewood and dry leaves into the opening below to make the fire burn vigorously.
When the sparrows on the rack started making sizzling sounds, Zhang Tiegou scooped several spoonfuls of lard paste from a jar and smeared it on the sparrows.
“Sizzle sizzle”—before long, the sparrows began emitting the fragrance of pork fat. Zhang Tiegou started sprinkling seasonings. After scattering crushed zanthoxylum and salt, the aroma immediately wafted out, making even the cart driver who had been waiting nearby come over to see what was happening.
Seeing Zhang Tiegou use so much lard just to roast sparrows, he clicked his tongue in admiration. Such extravagance! Worthy of a hunter who didn’t lack meat.
“Good lad, can I have this plump sparrow?” The cart driver asked shamelessly.
Zhang Tiegou said heartily, “One isn’t enough, have several more.”
The cart driver laughed cheerfully, “Several more would be fine too. If there were wine, that would be even better.”
Xu Yi: “…”
Had they forgotten he was still a doctor?
It wasn’t appropriate to drink alcohol when wounds hadn’t fully healed. However, the alcohol content of wine these days was quite low. If Zhang Tiegou wanted to drink, it wasn’t impossible.
But Xu Yi was in his mourning period, so he declined the two men’s invitation. And Ah Xu was still young, Xu Yi didn’t let him drink.
After that, just Zhang Tiegou and the cart driver ate roasted sparrows while drinking heartily together.
The wine at his home was just the cheapest loose wine. However, the cart driver was an old wine lover who had to have a few drinks every day when he got home. He couldn’t be happy without wine.
Zhang Tiegou was generous and unrestrained, and his alcohol tolerance was naturally considerable. Now with a drinking companion, he drank even more enthusiastically.
After finishing one pot of loose wine, the two wanted to open another pot to continue drinking, but Xu Yi stopped them.
“Your injury isn’t completely healed yet. Having some is fine, but excessive drinking won’t do.” Xu Yi’s gaze was firm. He wouldn’t allow such nonsense.
Zhang Tiegou pressed his lips together but ultimately listened to him and didn’t continue drinking.
…
The next day.
Xu Yi came to Baili Village again carrying his medicine chest.
Yesterday when he went to the village chief’s home for a consultation, the other villagers in Baili Village inevitably found out.
When Xu Yi’s ox cart had just entered the dirt road at the village entrance, he saw two villagers who, upon seeing him, cheerfully ran over to ask what illness he had treated at the village chief’s home.
Medical cases handled by physicians were all private matters and couldn’t be casually disclosed to others.
Facing their questions, Xu Yi vaguely deflected, then changed the subject with a smile, “If any of you feel unwell anywhere, you can come find me. My consultation fees are fair. I won’t randomly charge silver.”
The villagers: “…”
Hearing him say this, they became somewhat angry. Why would this doctor say such things? Was he cursing them to fall ill?
Immediately, their looks toward Xu Yi weren’t so friendly. But thinking that this person was going to the village chief’s home, they could only obediently disperse.
Seeing them leave tactfully, Xu Yi’s expression remained unchanged as he sat on the cart without moving.
Ah Xu beside him watched and asked quietly, “My master, why did they all run away?”
Xu Yi explained, “People tend toward what benefits them more. What they wanted to know was who in the village chief’s family was sick and what illness they had, not whether they themselves needed treatment. When I mentioned this, it became a taboo for them instead, so they got angry and left.”
Ah Xu nodded as he listened, then asked, “So… master, if I encounter this situation in the future, can I also say this?”
Xu Yi was silent for a second.
He said, “Whether you can do something depends on whether you have the capability to handle it. If you say something the other party doesn’t want to hear and they want to hit you, what do you do?”
Ah Xu answered, “I’ll run!”
Xu Yi smiled and shook his head, “What if you can’t get away?”
Ah Xu was stunned after hearing this. He hadn’t considered the consequences of not being able to escape.
Xu Yi looked at him and said calmly, “Advance when able, otherwise retreat. Act according to your abilities.”
After speaking, he explained to Ah Xu that this saying meant one should do everything according to one’s own capabilities and shouldn’t act rashly.
He didn’t deliberately teach Ah Xu any great principles. It was just that they happened to encounter this situation, so he discussed it with him.
He didn’t know how much Ah Xu would understand.
The ox cart swayed along the quiet rural path. Just as he finished speaking, they also arrived at Village Chief Zhang’s home.